The UNP said on Tuesday that Buddhists will vote for the party, contrary to claims by the Mahinda Rajapaksa faction of the SLFP.

Speaking to media, Education Minister Akila Viraj Kariyawasam said the SLFP faction was campaigning around the country, saying they will win the popular Buddhist vote.

A Buddha statue is being erected on Thalladi Main Street in Mannar.

Construction work is being carried out to build the Buddha statue in front of Thalladi army camp. The soldiers were previously reported to have decorated the Main Street to celebrate the Buddhist festival of Poson.

Selvam Adaikalanathan, an MP for Vanni district, said that the sudden commencement of the construction was a means of inciting racial tensions.

Tamil asylum seekers on the boat (Photos SMH)

The Australian government is alleged to have paid thousands of dollars to people smugglers on a boat carrying asylum seekers, who were then returned to Indonesia, the Sydney Morning Herald reported on Wendesday.

The boat carried 65 people, including Tamils and people from Burma fleeing persecution.

Indonesian police chief Mr Hidayat, said six crew members, who were arrested when they arrived at Rote, said they had been given $US5000 each by Australian officials.

Australia’s Immigration Minister Peter Dutton denied the allegations and refused to comment further, citing the government's policy of not commenting on "on-water matters".

A letter to the New Zealand government signed by the asylum seekers says Australian officials paid the six crew members at least $A7000 each.

Anti-apartheid activist and former South African judge, Albie Sachs, attended a special discussion on truth, reconciliation and justice in Jaffna on Tuesday.

Meeting with civil society activists, Mr Sachs said that the end of the war had not given rise to humanity, self-esteem or dignity and that the crucial need for freedom in the war-affected areas had not been fulfilled.

Sharing experiences from his own country, Mr Sachs said that for reconciliation to come about in South Africa, the perpetrators themselves came forward and admitted their crimes, but no such thing had happened in Sri Lanka.

Tamil civil society activists maintained that despite a change in regime, victims were no closer to justice.

Member of Parliament Paul Murphy hosted the event with the attendance of Irish MPs, the film’s director Callum Macrae, exiled journalist Bashana Abeywardena and investigative reporter on Sri Lanka Phil Miller.

TNA MP S Sritharan said the increase in the pedalling of drugs to youths in the North was part of a "genocidal agenda", while speaking at the launch of an anti-narcotic campaign in Kilinochchi, Ceylon Today reported.

The Tamil National Party (TNA) spokesperson Suresh Premachandran denied the party was aware of a meeting between TNA MP MA Sumanthiran, the GTF's Suren Surendiran and representatives of the Sri Lankan government, alongside "other stakeholders" in London.

Speaking to the Colombo Mirror, Mr Premachandran the secret nature of such meetings “has resulted in creating a fear whether these people are working against the Tamil people”.

“I am the official spokesman of the TNA and I state with full responsibility that the TNA leaders have neither discussed about this meeting nor approved anyone to attend it on its behalf. Sumanthiran may have attended this meeting in his private capacity or as the member of the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kadchi (ITAK), but certainly not as a representative of the TNA. It is a blatant lie,” he said.

Mr Sumanthiran, in an interview with Deepam TV, said the TNA leadership was aware and sanctioned the meeting. A press release sent from an official TNA email address on Monday also stated it was the TNA that participated in the meeting.

Leader of the Opposition Nimal Siripala de Silva, flanked by SLFP General Secretary Anura Priyadarshana Yapa and President Maithripala Sirisena, sleeping during an SLFP rally on 20A on Monday (Pic by Saman Abeysiriwardena/The Island)

Sri Lanka’s cabinet agreed to draft legislation to implement electoral reforms as the 20th amendment to the country’s constitution by Friday, at a special meeting last night.

The number of MPs will remain at 225, despite attempts by some parties to increase the number to 255. It was proposed to elect 125 MPs from the constituencies, 75 according to the Proportional Representation System by district, and the remaining 25 from the National List, under the new system, the Daily Mirror reported.

On Monday President Maithripala Sirisena called on all parties to declare their positions on the reforms, saying the passing of the amendment was “the need of the hour”.